The Happy Family- The Man On Your Street LP

For my second post today, I’ll be tackling the first of a handful of requests for early 4AD material. I may have posted some of the upcoming releases in the past, but consider this an attempt to start phasing out some of the old divshare links in general. I may update old posts, or do fresh ones with full records in due time, so stay tuned.

Otherwise, this one’s a fresh post on The Happy Family, a UK based quirky pop/post-punk outfit formed in 1981. The band rose from the ashes of local band Josef K, and released both a three-track single and one full-length record in 1982 on 4AD records, landing the deal after a few support slots with the Cure. These remained their two official releases, though ten demos for an unreleased second album surfaced in 1985 as The Business Of Living.

The band’s sound is very different than the material 4AD was releasing at the time… Instead of budding ethereal or doom-ridden post-punk, the Happy Family had more in common with Brel-esque pop, tossing in several literary sensibilities.

Soon after the Happy Family disbanded, lead vocalist Nick Currie finished his schooling, and subsequently whipped up a solo career under the moniker Momus, who eventually signed with Creation Records. Momus is still active to this day…

The Man On Your Street was re-released on disc in 1992, tacking on the Puritans 7” at the end of the record. I’ve uploaded that particular version below, but I was only able to acquire it in 128kps, which is a notch or two below my usual standard. If anyone has a copy with a higher bitrate, please chime in! Otherwise, here’s the details for the release:

The Happy Family- The Man On Your Street LP1. The Salesman 2. Letter From Hall 3. The Luckiest Citizen 4. Revenge! 5. The Courier 6. The Man On Your Street 7. A Night Underground 8. Two Of A Kind 9. March In Turin 10. Puritans 11. Innermost Thoughts 12. The Mistake

3 Responses to “The Happy Family- The Man On Your Street LP”

Mmmmm. It’s like the musical equivalent of apple jolly ranchers. Meaning: FUCKING DELICIOUS! Did you see? Your post is being discussed straight from the fount at his livejournal.…and I’m always a few days behind the times.If you did happen to nab a higher bitrate of this goodness from Mr. or Ms. Anonymous above, I wouldn’t be opposed to hearing it.